Pope Gregory IV

Pope Gregory IV (770-11 January 844) was Pope from 827 to 844, succeeding Pope Valentine and preceding Pope Sergius II.

Biography
Gregorius was born in 770 AD to John, a patrician of Rome. He became the Cardinal-Priest of the Basilica of St. Mark, and he was nominated as pope by the nobility of Rome unanimously. During his reign, King Louis the Pious fought in a civil war against his rebellious sons Lothaire of Italy, Pepin I of Aquitaine, and Louis the German, and Gregory tried to get involved to stop the Carolingian feuds. However, the sons did not like his intervention. On 24 June 833 two of Louis the Pious' sons met him at Rotfeld (near Colmar, Germany), and the sons ironically asked Gregory to ask Louis for a peace treaty. Gregory convinced Louis to lay down his arms, but Lothaire of Italy betrayed him, as he did not surrender. Louis, who already surrendered, was forced to make Lothaire the emperor. Gregory was prevented from returning to Louis the Pious, and he returned to Rome. In 834, Louis the Pious was restored and he sent a delegation to question Gregory about the deposition of Louis to see if he had a hand in it. Gregory swore that he only wanted to restore peace, and he decided to focus on internal matters. He died in 844.